Self Care Sunday: Soaking up the Sun at NW Oregon Beaches

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Soaking up the Sun at Four NW Oregon Beaches

We have been having some pretty amazing weather at the Oregon Coast, and I was ready for some fun in the sun with friends. We were on a mission to soak up as much sun as we can while it lasted so we visited four beaches along the Northwest tip of Oregon: Seaside Beach (top pic), Peter Iredale Shipwreck at Clatsop Beach (second pic), Haystack Rock at Cannon Beach (third pic), and Gearhart Beach (bottom pic). Here’s some of the exciting stuff we did while we visited each beach.

Wreck of the Peter Iredale, Clatsop Beach, Hammond, OR

Continuing our grand adventure around the Northwest tip of Oregon state, my Utah friends and I stopped at four of our favorite beaches. After leaving Astoria, we headed to Fort Stevens State Park to show the boys an old shipwreck, The Wreck of the Peter Iredale (October 25, 1906) on Clatsop Beach. To boost their curiosity, we told them it was an old pirate ship with buried treasure (like in the Goonies movie), they were not disappointed.

Shipwreck Selfies

There were people on the beach building big forts with driftwood, filming a show, swimming in the ocean, rolling around the sand on wheeled toys, flying kites, and playing around the old shipwreck remnants scattered along the coastline. We had a good time exploring and taking pictures. I got in a little pirate pole dancing, lol. 

Gearhart Beach, OR

We got to spend the night at McMenamin’s Gearhart Hotel  and Golf Course just a short walk from the beach where we caught the sunset and saw a bunch of vehicles parked on the beach next to campfires. We were able to see, hear, and smell the ocean from our hotel room. There was also a hidden room on our floor (2nd), where we were able to explore the new Annex part of the hotel by pressing on the walls to find a secret door. When you find it, on the inside, the walls are painted and blacklights make the bright colors pop. This was a fun little perk for the boys to check out. The weather was perfect for golfing and bike riding, both available at the hotel, but we were more interested in seeing more beaches since the sun was out and the temperature was comfortable with low winds. 

Mo’s Restaurant, Seaside, OR

After checking out of the hotel in Geahart, we were all ready for lunch at Mo’s. Didn’t we just eat lunch at Mo’s yesterday in Astoria? YES!!! There are eight Mo’s Restaurants along the Oregon Coast (and one at PDX airport). This place is a food staple in Oregon, especially their New England-style clam chowder w/bacon. Today for lunch, I tried their blackened fish tacos for the first time and would not recommend them, no flavor. I’ll just take some more chowder to-go, make that “slumgullion, please!” I also picked up a beautiful blue tye-dye sweatshirt. 

End of the Trail Lewis & Clark Statue, Seaside, OR

Right at the end of Broadway Street in downtown Seaside, there is a loop around the End of the Trail Lewis and Clark Statue marking the location where they completed the Oregon Trail Expedition. Mo’s Restaurant sits on the corner of Broadway and the beach inside the Shilo Inn, you can see their sign in the background behind the statue. We were able to enjoy our lunch on the patio and people watch. 

Seaside Beach, OR

Once we gobbled up our scrumptious lunch at Mo’s, we took a stroll along the beach, which was packed with visitors playing or relaxing, and workers getting ready for the Hood to Coast Relay Marathon this weekend (Aug. 27-28). We popped some big bubbles, checked out neat sand sculptures, watched the body surfers splashing in the water, and then the boys went to feed the seals at the Seaside Aquarium. 

Seaside Candyman, OR

Before leaving, we made sure to stop and grab some sweets at Seaside Candyman. We all picked out our own ice cream cones. I chose the waffle cone with two flavors you can only find in the Pacific Northwest, one scoop of Mountain Huckleberry (bottom) and one scoop of Marionberry Pie (top). The boys each got sugar cones with one scoop of rainbow sherbert, then had a chance to win more sweets at the spinning wheel. Neither won big but got a free piece of saltwater taffy. 

Haystack Rock (Goonies Rock), Cannon Beach, OR

Yesterday, we visited the Goonies House in Astoria. Today, we got to see the Goonies Rock in Cannon Beach, OR, just a few miles South of Seaside and Astoria. We told the boys they were going to see a great big rock in the ocean. They were not that impressed with our persuasive skills, but had a good time running in the sand making squeaking sounds with their feet, jumping the waves, and soaking in the sea. I asked them what their favorite beach was out of all we visited, they said the aquarium in Seaside with the seals. What was your favorite beach or activity we explored in Northwest Oregon? 

Thank you for reading and viewing,

Jaime Brainerd, E.d.D.